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There is additional pressure loss in a PRV beyond what the usual charts will show. There are certainly variations of the Watts PRVs with set points beyond 75 psi, but they are special-order and expensive. The Wilkins BR4 has the high range built in, and with an RPZ downstream, you figure to not see as much as 50 psi by the time the water reaches the heads, when you have a 75 psi regulator upstream of the system. If you don't need 50 psi at the heads, any regulator should do the trick.

Thanks. I had the watts 25-75 regulator so I installed it. Seems to be working fine...SLIGHTLY smaller range on the sprinkler heads though. I have two zones in the front yard (the house is at the top of a hill). One zone is across the bottom, near the street, one zone is across the top. Each zone is 4 hunter heads.

After installing the watts regulator (and removing the hunter one in the valve box), the top ones almost hit the street. The bottom ones go about 2/3rds the way up the hill. This is ok, right? There is full head-to-head coverage within each zone (side to side).

There is additional pressure loss in a PRV beyond what the usual charts will show. There are certainly variations of the Watts PRVs with set points beyond 75 psi, but they are special-order and expensive. The Wilkins BR4 has the high range built in, and with an RPZ downstream, you figure to not see as much as 50 psi by the time the water reaches the heads, when you have a 75 psi regulator upstream of the system. If you don't need 50 psi at the heads, any regulator should do the trick.

Many pressure regulators (at least those PVC plastice fixed pressure presure regulators) are not designed for incomming pressures above 150psi and state that you need TWO of them in series when operating pressures are that high.

So if your plan is to ADD the Watts pressure regulator at the copper before the transition to PVC, and leave the irrigation pressure regulator in place as well, then it sounds like a good plan... however, I seem to also recall that pressure regulators need something like a 15psi pressure gradient across them to work properly. So I would further suggest that if the irrigation regulator is adjustable, lower it to 50psi if the watts is set to 75psi. Otherwise, if you want to keep the irrigation regulator at 70 (or if it's a fixed regulator), then the Watt regulator needs to be set to about 90psi.

Get a Wilkins BR4 pressure reducer and install it upstream of the backflow preventer. The Wilkins can be adjusted to set points above 100 psi. Let it take the brunt of the hammer forces.

Only problem is I am going down to my parents this weekend and may not have time to order the WIlkins. I don't know of any stores that carry them. I know I don't want more than 75 PSI anyway....would a watts one set at 75 PSI cause me any issues?